Ties: Bonds That Bring Us Together
by OrangeBerry15
Summary: A shinigami in training, Mystery, is sent on a mission in the world of the living, however she encounters someone that will turn her world upside down.
1. Chapter 1: Chance

My feet shifted as I waited for the bus to stop. After a few moments the doors slid open and I made my way to the front of the bus. Luckily there wasn't many people here today. I stepped out into the open, but freezing air.

I was sent on a mission from the Soul Society to eradicate hollows in the small town called Karakura. The previous shinigami was taking a vacation break. Looking at this small and peaceful town made me realize that he might as well have been on "vacation" all the time. I'm sure nothing interesting happens here.

The bus drove off leaving a trail of smoke behind it. _Ah, that's right._ I grabbed my bag and dug through it, looking for the small scrap of paper. _...There!_ It was crumpled up, despite it's importance. I unfolded it and looked at the address.

"That's not too far from here, right?" I mumbled under my breath. Tugging on my scarf, I starting walking in the direction I hoped would be my destination.

I stopped in my tracks and glanced down at the note in my hand. _I guess this is it._ I slowly examined the building in front of me. It looked like an old, run down shop. The sign said Urahara Shoten. So, I'm assuming Urahara owns this place. I walked up to the door and knocked.

It wasn't long before I heard noise behind the door. I could make out talking but couldn't quite tell who it was. Then there was a loud bang and some shuffling. I stood there for a moment, considering my options. _Maybe I should just go in. But wait... What if it's being robbed?! Certainly no one would be dumb enough to rob a dump like this, right?_

The door flew open and much to my surprise I was met with a pair of small, dark eyes.  
"And just who are you?!" the voice grumbled. I instinctively jumped back, putting some distance from the scary person, or whatever this was. Light filtered in the doorway, revealing the intimidating presence to be a small child with red hair.

He looked me up and down with a suspicious look, but when he caught my eye, his face turned as red as his hair.

"Uh, um... You're Mystery, right? He's, uh, he's been waiting for you. C'mon in," he stammered, hiding his face from my view. I straightened myself and carefully walked in.

A young girl was standing inside and she greeted me with a small "Welcome". I glanced around the shop, studying my surroundings. Shelves of candy and odd knick-knacks lined the walls. Just what kind of shop is this?

"Ah, you finally made it!" I heard a voice from the back of the shop. A man in a black yukata, a green and white striped hat, and clogs waved at me. A big grin was stretched over his face, the rest of it was concealed by the shadow of his hat.

"Are you Urahara?" I asked.

He walked towards me, the sound of his clogs echoed around the room. He stopped in front of me and took his hat off and bowed. "The one and only."

He quickly put his hat back on before I had the chance to see his face.

"Urahara, I've come here as the new shinigami watching over this area. A friend of mine said I could get all my supplies here." I handed him the note.

He looked it over and his mouth turned up slightly. "Ah, yes. I've heard of you. You're the talk of the Soul Society aren't you?"

"Huh?" I felt my face redden. "I-I'm nothing special, really."

"Nonsense!" Urahara took out a fan and pointed it at me. "You're more than special! It's unheard of for a human to be accepted into the academy!"

"Well, I'm not a normal human..." I trailed off.

"Let's get you ready then, shall we?" he hummed, walking to the back of the shop. He walked through a door in the back.

"R-right." I followed him.

"And this is a Soul Pager. It will tell you when a hollow is near." Urahara said, handing a small flip phone to me. I opened it up, the screen flickering to life. It showed the time and date. It looked like a normal phone to me. But Matsumoto said to trust him, and that he knows what he's doing. I dropped the "soul pager" into my bag. It fell on top of the other things he'd given me like the Soul Candy dispenser (which looked like a Pez dispenser, if I'm being honest) and a red glove with a unique design on it; just one glove. Where the other one is, I'll never know. The list could go on, but I wasn't really sure what half of this was. He tried explaining it, but I didn't get any of it. I just nodded.

"Well, that should be it, since you aren't in need of a gigai."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. I had heard that term used before. I still wasn't quite sure what it was.

Urahara seemed to notice that I was lost in thought, trying to recall what a gigai was used for. He cleared his throat and spoke, "You see, you're a human. People are able to see you because you have a physical body. Shinigami don't have physical bodies, hence why they use gigai. A gigai is the shinigami's way of interacting with this world. They're able to use it to converse and interact with the living here without having to worry about being detected as a spirit. However, most shinigami have to do a bit of research on the ways of life here, since it's very different from the lifestyle in the seritei." He smiled, "You shouldn't have any problem blending in, huh?"

I nodded. Even though my memories of my past were gone, my habits are still there. I remember several shinigami remarking about my way of speech. Apparently I'm still more human than I thought.

"But there's just one problem," I looked down at the ground. "I don't have anywhere to stay. I could travel back and forth from the Soul Society to the human world but it's really stressful and exhausting." My mind flew back to the long run here. A long tunnel connecting the two worlds. It seemed to take me forever to reach the other end, and on top of that it ended up dropping me off 30 feet in the air! Luckily, I have inhuman reflexes, though that may be thanks to all my training in the academy.

"You don't need to do that. I've already planned ahead. You have a place to stay." He handed me a note as well as an envelope with a name I couldn't read written on it.

"Go to the address listed. I'm sure you'd like staying there better than you would here." Urahara chuckled. I could hear a loud sigh behind the door. "Besides, Jinta and Ururu are enough of a handful as is." The sound of scrambling feet could be heard by whom I assumed to be Jinta and Ururu, the two kids that greeted me earlier. And I say greeted lightly.

"Well, thank you for all your help Urahara." I smiled, standing up from the table.  
Urahara stood up as well. "Stop by anytime!" he said, waving his fan in front of his face.

The air had become colder since the sun was setting. I wrapped my scarf around me, covering my mouth. I looked at the paper Urahara had given me. The only thing written here is the address. I don't even know where I'm going. I'll have to ask someone where this is. I sighed. I hated asking for directions. I seem to forget them so easily.

I stopped at a gas station and asked the clerk if he knew where the address was.

"Ah, the clinic. Go up about two streets, take a left, and..." the clerk rambled on. I had already drowned him out by my own thoughts. _A clinic? I was staying at a clinic? I'm not sick!_

I mean sure, I was glad Urahara had found a place for me to stay, but this is a little overboard. The clerk stopped and said, "Maybe this will be easier." He gave me a map of the town and drew two circles on it.

"This is where you are right now, and this is the clinic." he explained, pointing to one circle then the other. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks!" I picked up the map.

The clerk nodded with a smile. "I'm glad I could help."

I carefully examined the map. It seemed like a little ways away. A long walk. I doubt I'd make it before dark. Hmm... There's a place on the map that I could probably cut some time off if I just went in a straight line. Sure, I wouldn't be following the roads, that'd probably be safer, but it'd be safer to get to my destination before dark. I expected the hollows would become more active then. I wanted to make sure I was well prepared.

I tucked the map in my coat pocket and pulled my bag over my head, making it easier to run. I started off in the direction of the clinic, jogging until I knew I was out of sight of any people. I started sprinting through the area of trees. Not only could I land from high areas without getting hurt, but I could run at blinding speeds as well. I believe the shinigami called this "flash step".

My reflexes allowed me to dodge the trees with ease, however the stray branches caught at my hair, pulling it and breaking off into my curls. I winced, coming to a stop. I pulled my hair back and tucked it into my coat and pulled up the hood. I should've done this in the first place.

I starting running again, this time not holding back. I was nearing the road again, but I barely slowed. Even if someone saw me they wouldn't be able to see my face. I finally saw a clearing in the trees. I leapt through-

BAM! I had collided with something. I hit the ground hard. _What? I didn't see any trees, it was clear! I shouldn't have hit anything!_ I lifted myself up into a sitting position and looked for what I had hit.

I couple of feet away a man was rubbing his head, his bright orange hair almost matching the sunset. He grumbled, grabbing his bag that had fallen on the ground next to him. Upon closer inspection, he looked to be a high school student. He was still wearing his uniform, and I guessed the bag was his book bag.

"What the hell was that?" he said. His eyes followed the distance between us until they locked with mine. His stare was a bit intense and I found myself blushing.

"Huh? Oh! Are you okay?" He quickly jumped up and ran over to me. He put his hand out to help me up.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I mumbled, wondering how he could even stand up right now. I reached out and grabbed his hand. Without much effort, he pulled me up. Although he had looked tall I was able to tell exactly how tall he was now, standing next to him. Even though I'm about average for my height, I felt a little short in comparison to him. I had to crane my neck a little to see his face. I'd say the top of my head probably reached his nose.

"Ah, that's good. You must've been in some hurry to be running that fast. Is everything okay?" he questioned. Despite his demeanor, his voice was quite friendly. He actually seemed a little worried about me.

"Yeah, I was just trying to get home before dark." I said rubbing the back of my head.

"Oh, so you live close by?" I nodded. "Would you want me to walk you home?"

I froze. "Uh, um, no. I'll be okay, don't worry about it. Thanks for the offer, though!" I quickly walked off, leaving him standing there. I could hear his feet shuffle on the ground in which I assumed was him turning around. I thought I heard him say something, but I kept walking.

I didn't bother to look back as I rounded a corner of a building. I leaned up against it, breathing heavily. I wasn't used to talking to so many strangers in one day. Except for the first day I could remember, but then it wasn't possible for me to know anyone, was it?

The whole encounter seemed odd to me. But why? It was simply a high school student heading home after school. _But why was he out this late? Maybe he had some extracurricular activities? Or maybe detention?_ I shook my head. _Why does it matter? I need to get to the clinic._

I realized that I had forgotten the direction I was headed in. I reached into my pocket... _It's not there! I must've dropped it when I ran into that guy!_

"Crap," I whispered. I peered around the corner. The orange haired guy wasn't there. I dashed out to where we had collided, scanning the ground around me. _Nothing._

Of course, it was just a piece of paper, it could've blown away in the wind, right? I looked around me. Nothing but the trees and the river. _Wait_... I ran over to the edge of the river and looked. I didn't see it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't already washed downstream or disintegrated!

I felt my heart drop. I guess I'll have to ask someone else. It was already dark now so the stores would be closing soon. I hurried down the road.

Shivering, I stepped up to the door of the clinic. I tried knocking on the other door, but there wasn't an answer. I guess the clinic was closed now. I had found another door off to the side. It made me think that this wasn't just a clinic. The people that own it must live here.

After all the trouble it took to get here, including trying to ask a foreigner for directions, I wasn't going to back down now. I placed my fist to the door and knocked. Unlike Urahara's shop, I couldn't hear anything behind the door.

I waited for a while, watching my breath hit the cold air. I couldn't feel my nose anymore. I was just about to turn to walk away when the door opened. A middle aged man was standing there, his eyes wide. I noticed he had an apron on.

"Um, excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you," I sifted through my bag and pulled out the envelope Urahara had given me. "Urahara sent me here."

I handed him the note. He tore it open and pulled out the letter inside. As he was reading over it I could almost detect a hint of shock on his face.

"Ah, I see. Well, welcome to the Kurosaki home!" he greeted me with a warm, goofy smile. He motioned for me to come in. I walked in, taking in my surroundings. A small kitchen was connected to a living room, the TV going on about the weather. A little girl with blond hair was busy cooking and another little girl was sitting at the table eating a bowl of rice. The smell of curry and rice made my mouth water.

"Oh, who's this? Ichigo's girlfriend?" the girl at the table mused.  
The other girl gasped and quickly turned around. "I didn't know he had a girlfriend!"

"Sorry, I'm not dating, um, whoever this Ichigo person is." I said, slightly embarrassed. "My name's Mystery and I'll be staying with you a while, if that's okay?" I turned to the man who opened the door. He nodded.

"We should introduce ourselves properly!" he said, rushing over to the two girls.

They seemed to get in some kind of strange formation, except the girl eating dinner. She just kept eating.

"I'm Yuzu!" the blond hair girl chimed. She pointed over to the other girl at the table.

She sighed and said, "I'm Kairin."

The man who greeted me grinned and yelled, "And I'm Isshin!"

"And we're the Kurosaki family!" Yuzu and Isshin bellowed. Kairin took another bite of rice.

"There's actually one more person, but he's in his room right now. It's our older brother Ichigo." Yuzu said, setting down two plates at the table.

"That's right," Isshin seemed to come to the realization of the missing family member. "ICHIGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he roared, causing me to flinch. This is one lively family.

"WHAT?" I heard a voice yell from upstairs.

"Get down here and greet our guest!" Isshin ordered.

I heard footsteps walking around, then heard them coming down the stairs.

"What are you talking-" the source of the voice stopped on the bottom step. A familiar flash of orange invaded my senses. "I-it's you!" he stammered.

"You two know each other?" Isshin asked.

"So she is his girlfriend." Kairin blatantly said, setting her finished bowl of rice down and walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 1: SIDE B

"Oh, you can't be serious!" the annoying voice grumbled. I was getting irritated now.

"Keigo, I'm not going to the mall with you guys tonight. I'm not interested in picking up chicks. That's just like you to be like a stalker." I said, getting up from my desk and grabbing my book bag.

"Dude, I'm not a stalker!" Keigo whined. "That was just one girl, and she stole my hat!" He grabbed the edge of my uniform as I was walking off.

SLAM! I had picked him up, flipped him over my shoulder, and slammed him onto the ground. As I walked towards the classroom door I heard him whimper behind me, "You're so mean, Ichigoooo..."

I walked out of the classroom and down the hall. As I was turning the corner I brushed into Tatsuki, my childhood friend.

"Oh! Ichigo! Can you do me a favor?" She took her bag off her shoulder and handed it to me. "I've got karate practice, so can you run my bag to my house? I'm afraid I'll forget it again if I bring it with me."

"Sure," I slung the bag over my shoulder. It was a little heavier than I thought.

"Thanks, Ichigo!" she said as she ran down the hall. I heard a teacher scold her for running in the halls. I'm guessing she's late.

Crowds of people pushed their way out of the school entrance. I hung back until it had died down a little. I overheard people's conversations about hanging out this weekend and drama about break-ups, among other things. Standing just outside the school was Orihime. She turned and noticed me. I waved at her and she gave me a big smile. She walked over towards me, slightly swinging her bag at her side.

"Hi Ichigo!" she said, cheerfully.

"Hi Orihime, are you waiting for someone?" I asked.

"Oh, uh, no. I'm just looking at the sky. It's such a nice day, isn't it?" She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sky. I looked up too. The sun was starting to set and the sky was turning orange.

"It is nice." For some reason I felt a wave of sadness rush over me. I shook it off and turned towards Orihime.

"Huh?" She glanced to my shoulder which had Tatsuki's bag on it. "Oh! That's Tatsuki's bag, right?"

"Yeah, she wanted me to drop it off at her house."

"I could drop it off if you want me to," Orihime said. I shook my head.  
"No, you should get home before it gets too late."

Her face blushed slightly. "O-okay. See you later, Ichigo." She walked off. I thought I saw her hit herself on the head but I wasn't sure.

I made my way to Tatsuki's house.

"Ah, no. Sorry, I can't stay for dinner." I said nervously.

"Oh, well you should definitely come by sometime. We haven't seen you since you were this tall." Tatsuki's mother put her hand out about 2 feet of the ground. I don't think it's been that long.

"Okay, I will ma'm." I said, walking off the porch.

"Be careful on your way home, dear!" she shouted behind me. I sighed slightly.

It was almost dark. She had gone into a full conversation about how much she missed seeing me and that I'd grown to be so tall and- Really, I'm not even sure what she was talking about. I knew I had to get home soon or dad might think I've got a girlfriend now or something. I didn't feel like arguing with him tonight. I've felt really tired all day. Maybe I'm coming down with a cold or something.

I walked next to the river, looking out at the water. It reflected the sunset, sparkling as the light hit it at different angles. I almost hated how serene it looked.

"It didn't look like this that day." I sighed. Suddenly, I heard twigs breaking. I looked back at the trees behind me. Nothing was there. I walked over and peered inside the small forest. I heard footsteps in the distance. They were coming closer at high speed, like someone was really booking it. Then I saw what looked to be a person for an instant before the impact.

WHAM. The force threw me back. I felt my head hit the ground, hard. It knocked the breath out of me. I groaned as I grabbed my head. I felt a headache starting.

I sat up and looked for my bag. It was right next to me. Thankfully it hadn't flown out of my hands and went flying into the river or something. "What the hell was that?" I said, looking across from me.

A girl was sitting there, looking back at me. She looked startled for a moment before she turned away. What? Was I bleeding? I wouldn't be surprised considering how fast she was running. I noticed a bit of blood on her cheek. "Are you okay?" I said, getting up and heading over to her. I put my hand out to help her up.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she said, quietly. She placed her hand in mine. It was cold, but soft. I strengthened my grip a little as I pulled her up to her feet. She looked up at me.

Her hair was windswept and her cheeks and nose were red from the cold. I'm sure running like that wasn't helping either.

"Ah, that's good. You must've been in some hurry to be running that fast." I said. My thought's drifted to that cut on her cheek. _I wonder how she got it._

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was just trying to get home before dark." She rubbed the back of her head. Maybe she had hit it too.

"Oh, so you live close by?" I continued the conversation. I hadn't seen her around here. Perhaps she'd just moved here.

She nodded. "Would you want me to walk you home?" Now I felt like a stalker.

She appeared shocked by my question. "Uh, um, no," she said hesitantly. "I'll be okay, don't worry about it. Thanks for the offer, though!" She said before she turned and walked off.

 _Great._ As if my appearance wasn't intimidating enough, now I sound creepy. I mean, it wasn't like I was as creepy as Keigo. And I wasn't trying to ask her out. I legitimately wanted to make sure she got home safe.

I watched her walk for a bit before turning back towards home.  
"I'm such an idiot." I murmured.

I walked a few feet before I stopped. Something was lying on the road. It was a map. _Guess I'll throw this away when I get home_ , I thought, sticking it in my book bag.

I opened the door and was greeted by Yuzu who was cooking dinner. I could faintly smell curry.

"We're having curry and rice for dinner." Yuzu said, moving around the kitchen grabbing spices and other ingredients.

"Sorry, Yuzu. I'm not hungry." I apologized and headed for my room.

"Huh? No way! You have to eat supper!" she scolded. "It's not healthy to skip meals!"

"I might come down and grab some later, okay?" I said, feeling the headache increase slightly. I heard Yuzu sigh as I climbed the stairs up to my room.

I pushed my door open and threw my book bag on my bed. I face-planted right next to it. The pounding in my head was getting worse. I laid on the bed properly and put my feet up on my bag.

 _I wonder if that girl made it home okay._ Not that this town was all that dangerous, it still had its fair share of crooks lurking around. I'm sure she'd be fine if she was being careful. I chuckled. I'm not sure if I could label her as a careful person. She seems quite clumsy if you ask me.

Thinking back on it, she seemed a little out of place here. And she looked a little lost, too. _Wait._ I rose up and opened by book bag. I felt around until I found that map from earlier. _Was this hers?_

I looked at it up close and noticed a red circle around the gas station down the street, as well as... a circle around our house!

Before I had much time to think about it I heard my father yelling my name from below.

"WHAT?" I yelled back. My head pounded in response. I winced.

"Get down here and greet our guest!"

Guest? Were we expecting someone? No one had told me about it. I got up and made my way downstairs.

"What are you talking-" I stopped when I reached the living room. Standing in the kitchen was the girl from earlier, eyeing me curiously before realization hit.

"I-it's you!" I managed to choke out, despite my shock. What was she doing here?

"You two know each other?" Dad said, looking at me curiously. Oh no.

"So she is his girlfriend." Karin smirked, leaving the room.


	3. Chapter 2: Change

"Can you pass me the rice?" Yuzu asked me politely.

I reached over the table and passed the bowl to her. The table was awfully quiet.

The boy I had run into earlier, his name Ichigo, was sitting across from me. He didn't dare look me in the eye. He just kept his head low and focused on his plate.

"Sooooo, Ichigo, where'd you meet your pretty girlfriend?" Ichigo's dad, Isshin, chimed.

Ichigo's hand slammed on the table and I felt my face heat up.

"For the last time, she's not my girlfriend!" Ichigo roared. I could see that he was blushing, even from this far away.

"Alright, alright! Can't you handle a little joke?" Isshin backed off of his teasing, probably hoping they wouldn't have a full blown fight at the dinner table. "But really, how do you two know each other?"

I wasn't expecting Ichigo to speak up anytime soon, so I replied, "I ran into him on my way here."

"Literally," Ichigo mumbled. I felt a tinge of anger coming from him, but I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or not.

"Ah, I see." Isshin rubbed his chin slightly before turning to Ichigo. "Mystery is going to stay here a while, so I don't want you to harass her."

 _Huh? Is- Is he dangerous? Certainly the boy that helped me up off the ground earlier is no pervert... right?!_

"I think she'll have to worry more about you, old man," Ichigo growled, getting up from the table and placing his dish in the sink.

"Yuzu," Isshin said, "Help Mystery get comfortable in the spare room."

"Okay! Mystery, please follow me, and don't forget your stuff!" Yuzu was already up the stairs before I had gotten out of my seat.

I followed her up them and arrived at the top, in a long hallway. There were several doors with different numbers on them. Yuzu was standing in front of one with the number 17 on it.

"This is your room." Yuzu said opening the door. Inside was a small twin sized bed and a desk with a wooden chair. I sat my bag on the bed and turned back to Yuzu.

"Do you need help with anything?" Although she was so small, I felt a "motherly" warmth from her.

"Oh, no, I think I've got it," I replied, giving her a smile.

She smiled back and said, "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

Yuzu lead me down the hall and stopped at a door without a number on it.

"This is the bathroom. We have one downstairs too, but this one is closer. The only thing is you might have to share it with Ichigo."

"Ah, that won't be a problem."

"Speaking of, the door with the 15 on it is Ichigo's room." Yuzu explained while we walked down the hall.

I nodded, then stopped when I realized we were in front of it. I looked at it for a moment before speaking. "Is Ichigo okay with me staying here?"

Yuzu stopped and turned around. "I'm sure he's fine with it. He just acts that way because he's embarrassed."

"What's there to be embarrassed about?"

"Well, it's not like it's everyday a girl his age comes into his house. Actually, I've never seen him show any interest in anyone. He's never said anything either, but that may be because of dad."

I thought on it for a moment. Someone like Ichigo, not having a girlfriend? It seemed strange to me. He looked very attractive, _wait, what am I saying?_ Had I really given him that much a look-over before? _Hm..._ I guess he does look nice, so it doesn't make sense that he's never dated anyone. Is he just shy? Or maybe it's his expression? I'll admit, his gaze is a bit intense. I could see some girls might get scared.

"Who knows, though? He might warm up to you!" Yuzu beamed.

"W-what? Why me?"

"Well, you're pretty and nice, so why not?"

"E-eh?!" I was getting embarrassed now.

"Yuzu!" A voice called from downstairs.

"Coming! Sorry, I'll try to show you around the house a little more in a bit." She rushed down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.

I breathed out a sigh and looked at Ichigo's door again before going back to my room to unpack.

"I guess that's everything," I exhaled before plopping onto my new bed. I looked at my room, examining that everything was in its place. I really didn't have much, though. A few books were on the desk, propped up on their sides with a small "seaweed ambassador" figure that I had won in a drawing at the bar Rangiku frequented a lot. Rangiku had begged me to enter and, in her drunken state, convinced me. Apparently, only me and one other person entered the drawing. I just happened to win. I wondered who the other person who entered was and on my way back to the barracks I swore I felt someone giving me a death glare from the shadows.

Thinking back to the Seritei, I felt a little lonely. I hadn't made a lot of friends, but the ones I had were nice to me, despite my differences. Rangiku watched out the most for me, even if she wasn't in the same squad as me.

Being part of Squad 13 was nice. Despite the captains frequent absence, the whole experience was nothing but friendly. Other squads and their captains looked down on me for being part of the Court Guard Squads because I'm a human. However, Squad 13 welcomed me with open arms. I mean, the captain volunteered to have me be in his squad, since no one else was really willing. I feel like I owe him a lot.

The two assistant captains were nice to me, although Rangiku snatched me up so often I didn't get to know them better.

Speaking of knowing better, there was another member that didn't have a designated place in Squad 13, just like me. I didn't get to see her too much, but from what I did see and hear she was a reliable member. I caught a glimpse of her one night, standing outside the barracks looking at the moon. I remember thinking to myself how beautiful, but somber she looked.

Before I was sent to the Human World, she was the one who was supposed to go. However, Captain Kuchiki stood up and said he'd rather her not go. I'm not sure what their relationship was, but as soon as he found out he flat out demanded she not go. Because she, nor the two assistant captains, could go Captain Ukitake said I should go. At first, the Shinigami attending the meeting disagreed, but when it was taken to the Head Captain he almost immediately allowed it. I heard people saying something along the lines of, "She would be back in the Human World where she belongs," and "It'd be easier to keep an eye on her there."

Captain Ukitake reassured me that I would be the perfect person for the job, since I had shown how "great my abilities were against the Hollows, even if I didn't have my own Zanpakuto to help me". He explained that I would be monitored, but for my safety. They'd keep track of where I was and, if I had any trouble, a nearby Shinigami on patrol could quickly get to me.

Despite this, I felt a sense of unease. Sure, I'm a human, but I have no memories prior to being found in the Soul Society. Strangely enough though, it hasn't been as hard as I thought. I've found myself quickly adapting already. Most people wouldn't bat an eye at me. And it hasn't even been a full day yet!

I walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, just enough to see the moon. _And now, I wait._

SCREE SCREE SCREE SCREE

I was jolted awake by the loud sound piercing my eardrums. I scrambled up off the bed and dug into my bag. I pulled out the small cellphone and flipped it open. The screeching stopped when a small map of the area appeared on the screen. _Wait. You're telling me I had a map the whole time?!_

Loud footsteps outside my door drew my attention away from the phone.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I was fairly certain that was Ichigo's voice, but I hadn't heard this tone before. I glanced back at the phone and saw the time. 3:02 in green, digital text was displayed at the top of the screen. _Oh crap, I hope this didn't wake the whole house._

"I'm coming in!" Ichigo said. The door quickly flew open and Ichigo was standing there in a yellow shirt and red shorts. I blinked and looked him over. His hair was slightly messy, I think. It was hard to tell; maybe that's his normal style...?

Ichigo caught my gaze and blushed slightly. I looked down and remembered I had changed into my pajamas as well. A simple blue tank top and black shorts, nothing too revealing, but if Yuzu was right, it was enough to make him embarrassed.

"Um, I was just checking to see what that noise was. You didn't answer so I just..." Ichigo trailed off, scratching his head.

"Oh! It was just, uh... my alarm! Y-yeah! My alarm went off." I stammered.

"At 3 in the morning?"

"Uh, I must've set it for 3 am instead of 3 pm..." I hoped he couldn't detect my horrible lying.

"Uh huh..." He looked at me questionably.

"Sorry, but... I have to use the bathroom!" I belted, dashing out of the room and down the hall, phone in hand. I entered the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I looked around for an opening to the outside. My eyes landed on a small window high above the bath. I climbed over the bathtub and reached up to the windowsill. Grasping it, I pulled myself up and tugged on the handles. The window popped open, cold air rushing in. I immediately regretted putting my PJs on.

Turning around, I slipped out the window feet first and landed on the ground with a THUNK! I took one look at the Kurosaki Clinic and ran off in the direction my phone had displayed.

One glance told me I was in the right area, but... where's the Hollow? I squinted into the darkness, hoping to glimpse it before it snuck up on me.

Carefully, I took a few steps forward, readying my hand for battle at even the slightest movement. I closed my eyes and used my other senses to detect its presence.

In my mind, I could see outlines of the area around me. Trees, benches, the playground- There! Blue energy gathered to the highest point of the playground set. My eyes flashed open and I leapt forward just in time to dodge a blast from the Hollow. It growled and hissed at me, finally showing me its true form. Long, black legs extended from its sleek white body, and slime oozing from its half open mouth, it displayed its many rows of sharp teeth. Its piercing yellow eyes met mine, and I felt my legs freeze up. Never had I seen a Hollow this disturbing before.

Its spindly arms reached the ground, causing vibrations to shake the earth beneath my feet. It slinked over to me, a seemingly twisted smile displayed on its skull-like face. My heart beat faster and my mind was screaming at me, telling me to run, but I shifted my feet into a defensive position and readied my hand in front of me.

"C'mon, help me out here," I whispered under my breath. White light shot out from both sides of my hands, causing the Hollow to flinch. I smirked, closing my hands around the white light. It took shape of a dark katana, far away streetlights casting reflections on its surface.

The white light subsided and I swung my sword out in an arc in front of me; it sliced through the air only inches from the Hollow's face. It seemed to make it angry as the Hollow bellowed, spit flying everywhere.

"Well then, let's do this."

I pierced my sword into the Hollow's side, causing it to shriek in pain. It squirmed around and grabbed my foot, throwing me through the air. I let myself fly, then adjusted myself so I hit the tree with my feet and shot myself forward. Raising my sword to the moon, I slashed downwards on the Hollow's head, splitting it in two. It's decaying body hit the ground before evaporating.

Panting, I examined my sword. It seems to have changed from the last time I used it. The Soul Society believes I don't have my own Zanpakuto, and they're right. My sword is not my own. It belongs to another Shinigami. I simply "borrow it". However, I don't recognize this one. I'm not exactly sure how to control which sword I "summon", but I almost always figure out which sword it is, without even asking it's name.

The Soul Society aren't fond of my ability. They're afraid I'll use it for bad, hence the "keeping an eye on me" rule. I've been careful to only show them what I've wanted them to see. I've made sure they didn't see me summon a captain's Zanpakuto. I'm sure that'd frighten them.

I let my sword fade away in my hand before flipping open my phone. _Hm, I guess this doesn't really work all that great as a map. None of the buildings are labeled. I wonder if there's an option for that, as well as a different alarm..._


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome

I combed through my tangled mess of hair. I looked at my own reflection in the mirror. A pair of dead eyes looked back at me. Mine. I looked like a zombie. First night here and I have a Hollow fight. Then I can't sleep because I'm paranoid of the alarm blaring again. _Thanks, Urahara._ I had the idea of throwing the "Soul Pager" out the window, but decided against it. He might make me pay for a new one and I sure don't have the money for that.

When I woke up this morning, after maybe 20 minutes of sleep, Yuzu informed me that I had been enrolled at Karakura High. I assume this is Urahara's doing, but it's not a bad idea. No one would expect a high schooler to go romping around at late hours of the night killing monsters for the benefit of everyone, right?

I hadn't seen Ichigo this morning, but almost expected him to ask me what exactly happened last night. Maybe he'll leave it alone. I'd at least try to avoid confrontation until after school has ended. But, it's not like I can avoid him. We'll be going to the same school. I don't know how many classes we'll have together, but I'm hoping not many. Surely he'd catch on to me sneaking out of class to go Hollow hunting.

I didn't stress over picking out the "perfect first day of school outfit", considering they'll probably issue me a uniform before class, and I'm just not that kinda girl. I actually don't want to make an impression. The less noticeable I am, the better.

I took my time going down the stairs, hoping Ichigo might've already left. Much to my misfortune, he was standing by the door with his bag slung over his shoulder. He still had a frown on his face, but when he saw me I thought it almost melted away, at least for a second.

"Have a good day at school, Ichigo," Yuzu turned to me, "and Mystery!"

"Thank you, Yuzu," I replied. I grabbed a piece of toast that was sitting on the table when I walked by. I walked over to Ichigo and looked up. "I'm ready."

Ichigo simply nodded and opened the door, motioning for me to go out first. I stepped out into the cool morning air and looked at the sky. It was overcast, white clouds covering every inch of the sky. I watched as my breath escaped into the open air.

Ichigo led the way, and I kept to his side, leaving a good amount of distance between us. Our footsteps were off beat as we trudged down the street.

"You were in the bathroom for a while last night, huh?" He asked me this while keeping his eyes forward on the road ahead of us.

"That's none of your business." I replied, taking a bite of my toast.

"You weren't even in there, were you?"

"H-huh?!" _Had he found me out already?_

"If you wanted to get some fresh air, we have a front door, you know."

 _What?_

He stopped and looked at me. "The real question is, how the hell did you get down to the ground from the second floor?"

"Um... I have my ways." I tried to say coyly... but failed miserably.

"Right." He continued walking without saying another word.

We arrived at the school and I went straight to the office, leaving Ichigo behind to go to his class. I walked into the office and was greeted by the receptionist.

"Ah, are you new here?" she inquired.

"Yes," I mumbled. The noise of all the students outside was a little overwhelming.

"Okay, let's see... Ah! Are you Mystery Kurosaki?"

"W-what?" The sound of my name being paired Ichigo's last name caught me off guard and had me blushing on the spot.

"Is something wrong?" She had her head tilted to the side in a questioning manner.

"N-no. That's me." I was agreeing to that only because I don't have a last name, or at least I can't remember it. The one thing I could remember was the name "Mystery", which I assumed was my own. So, accepting his last name was easier than trying to come up with an excuse as to why I don't have one.

"Okay, just one moment." The receptionist rose from her seat and went to the back of the office, out of my view. I took this moment to take in my surroundings. Dozens upon dozens of papers were stacked and scattered on the desks. A copious amount were taped to the walls. I didn't bother trying to read them. I observed the other receptionists working silently at their crowded desks.

One of them looked up from her writing. Her gaze shifted from me to the windows leading out to the hallway. She stared out at them, almost dumbfounded. I turned around and suddenly realized what her concern was. A large group of people were crowded around the windows, staring in. Staring at me. When my sights hit theirs they turned and walked away. I sighed, turning back around as the receptionist returned to the room. _So much for going around unnoticed._

"Here you are," she stated, handing me my uniform and a few papers. "Check your paper for your schedule and make sure you put on your uniform before Homeroom starts." She gave me a wide smile. "Welcome to Karakura High."

I changed into my uniform in the bathroom before checking my schedule. "School, huh? I just got out of school," I murmured. _Well, Soul Reaper school, but it's still school._

I looked over the paper:

TEACHER: Ms. Misato Ochi

FIRST PERIOD: Science 7:30-8:30

SECOND PERIOD: Math 8:40-9:40

THIRD PERIOD...

I disregarded the rest. _At least History wasn't first period._

I followed the map to my Homeroom class. Sliding the door open, I stepped into the room. All eyes turned to me, but there was a particular pair that caught my attention. _Figures._ Ichigo returned his gaze to the window.

"Alright class, we have a new student! Take your seats! Mr. Asano, I see you back there." The teacher came in and stood behind the wooden podium. When the class had quieted down, the teacher motioned me over. "Please write your name on the blackboard," she stated.

I slowly picked up a piece of chalk and brought it to the blackboard. Shakily, I wrote my first name and stopped. The teacher looked at me, along with the rest of the students, waiting for me to finish. _Crap. How do you write their name again...?_ One stroke, then the next, my hand seemed to move on its own. I finished and set the chalk back down, stepping back into my original position.

"Hello, my name is Mystery," I bowed. "Mystery Kurosaki."

"WHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTT?!" The class seemed to bellow all at once. Heads turned to Ichigo giving him questioning glances. I could make out some of the chatter:

"Kurosaki? She's related to him?!" 

"What? Are they brother and sister?" 

"Dude, why didn't you tell me you're related to a hot chick?" That one made me snort.

"Alright, alright class, settle down now!" The teacher boomed, trying her best to make herself heard over all the commotion. The class, myself included, rushed to cover our ears. Her voice really carried when she wanted it to. She pointed to the only empty seat in the room... right next to Ichigo. "Please take a seat there." _Oh, great._

I slowly walked over to my seat, avoiding all the curious eyes around me. I caught a quick glance at Ichigo as I sat down. He had his head in his hand, turned to the side towards the window. _He must really hate me now..._

The class continued on, but I didn't pay much attention. Everything seemed so confusing, it was too difficult to focus anyway. Instead, I looked around the room, looking at the backs of people's heads. No one in particular stood out to me except a girl with long, strawberry blonde hair near the front of the room. Odd, Ichigo isn't the only one with bright colored hair in his class.

Unlike Soul Reaper school, you didn't change classrooms. Meaning I had every class with Ichigo.

We had bathroom break periodically, but I doubted they'd be long enough to go after a Hollow.

Lunchtime came at the sound of the bell. The teacher left the class, as well as most the students. Ichigo was still sitting in his seat, head turned away. I guess he's in his own world.

"Hey, Ichigo!" The voice behind me made me jump. I whirled around to see two boys walking up to Ichigo's seat. "Dude, you should introduce us to your relative over there~!" the boy with brown hair chimed. He gave me a little wink. _Gross._

"Keigo, I'm not in the mood for this today." Ichigo answered him. I could hear the aggrevation in his voice.

"Aww, come on," he leaned in closer to Ichigo. "She's, like, really hot, dude." If he was trying to make it where I couldn't hear him, it didn't work.

The other boy with black hair sat down at the desk behind me. He smiled softly and said, "Don't mind Mr. Asano, he's just a lonely pervert."

"WHAAAAT?! Dude, not cool! And what's with the formal talk, anyway?" Keigo whined.

The boy ignored him. "My name's Mizuiro, and that's Keigo. Nice to meet you, " he stated, bowing his head slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Mizuiro." I bowed my head as well.

Keigo must of given up on Mizuiro and continued harassing Ichigo. "Hey! You two should join us on the roof. It'd be fun!"

"I'm not hungry." Ichigo grumbled. He still hadn't looked at me yet.

Mizuiro looked back to me. "You can join us if you want."

"Oh, uh, I didn't bring my own lunch." I answered.

"That's fine! I can show you to the lunchroom, if you'd like. You can buy your lunch there."

I felt my stomach drop, and not because I was hungry. I didn't have money in this world. No means of buying food, or anything for that matter. I was dead broke. I had even snuck on the bus yesterday and managed to get off without any trouble, but had I been caught...

I hesitated to talk, but Ichigo stood up before I had a chance to answer.

"We'll meet you two up there in a minute. Go up and save us a spot." Ichigo said, as he grabbed my hand. "I'll show her the lunchroom." He guided me out of the room. Behind me I could hear Keigo go, "Yesss!"

I walked into the busy lunchroom with Ichigo, who had now let go of my hand. The room was crowded with tons of students eating lunch and chatting with their friends. I noticed some look up from their conversations at us. _Why does a new face attract so much attention here?_

"Why'd you do that back there?" I asked him, finally getting to see his face.

"You were hesitating." He grabbed a plate and handed it to me. "You don't have any money do you?"

I slowly grabbed the plate and nodded. My face was turning red in embarassment.

"I can understand you not having money. You did just show up out of nowhere yesterday." He picked up a plate of his own. "I'll buy your lunch, then."

"W-what?" I gave him a confused look.

"Hurry up. If we don't get up there soon Keigo will probably come looking for us."

I scrambled over to the lunch line and started to fill up my plate. I wouldn't want him to draw more attention to us.

"What took you guys so long?" Keigo asked, stuffing rice into his mouth. He had already eaten half of his lunch.

I opened my mouth to answer but Ichigo cut in, "Long line." He sat down next to Mizuiro.

We were up on the roof of the school, along with a few other students scattered around in their own little groups eating lunch.

I sat down next to Ichigo, careful as to not spill my plate.

"Well then, how are you guys related?" Keigo was already asking questions.

Before I could try to answer, Ichigo interrupted me yet again, "Distant cousins. She's from out of town."

"Ah, so you're staying here a while~?" Keigo was making my skin crawl. Sorry buddy, there's no chance for you here.

I felt obligated to answer, however. "Yes, I'll be staying here for a few months." Ichigo had turned his head towards me. _I wonder if he's okay with that..._

"Sweeet~! Maybe we can all go out sometime? See a movie?" At least he said "all".

"Don't rush her, she's just getting to know us!" Mizuiro scolded. Huh, at least he's nice.

I started eating my food as Keigo and Mizuiro argued. I looked over at Ichigo. Despite getting a plate of food, he hadn't even touched it. _I wonder if he's okay..._

Lunchtime ended and we went back to class. English class started and I found myself actually enjoying the lesson. I felt I understood it better. Well, it was basically just a bunch of reading, and I love reading.

I quickly finished my assignment and looked over at the window. It had started raining. The sky was a dark gray and made me feel a bit uneasy.

As if on cue, the Soul Pager let out a piercing cry. I immediately snatched it out of my purse and opened it. I quickly looked around the room, expecting to see all eyes on me, but everyone's head was down, studying. Well, almost everyone. Ichigo was staring at me, his eyes wide. Huh? What's going on?

I looked back down at my phone. A small red dot was on the map, not far from here. _I have to get to it before it gets to the school._

I shot my hand into the air, like I had seen the other students do to get the teacher's attention.

"Yes, Ms. Kurosaki?" I flinched again.

"May I go to the restroom?" I said, my voice quivering a little.

"Did you not have enough time during break to go?"

"No, m'am,"I answered, putting my head down.

"Alright, make it quick." I practically leaped out of my seat and ran towards the door. "No running!"

"Yes, m'am!" I yelled back, running out the door. I had no time to waste.

Rushing outside, I felt the rain hit my head. Too bad I hadn't worn my hoodie.

As I was running, my mind drifted back to the scene in class. No one had heard my phone blare except Ichigo and me. Why was that? It was extremely loud. Maybe only people like me can hear it? Does that mean Ichigo has some sort of powers, too?

My thoughts were interrupted by the Hollow's cry. I stopped, seeing it fly overhead. Despite the big red dot on the map, this Hollow was fairly small. It also looked like it would weigh too much to fly around like that, but I guess when it comes to ghosts none of that really matters.

It flew into a tree a few feet away, causing the tree to shake. I summoned "my" sword. It was the same as last night. In the brightness of the day, even though it was raining, I could see it clearly now. Steel black with a unique hilt. I wonder whose sword this is?

The Hollow caught me off guard as it went flying at me. I didn't have much time to react so I put my arm up over my face. The Hollow collided with me, biting my arm. Blood started running down it. I winced, but shook the Hollow off. My right arm ached as I touched it with my hand.

"You're starting to piss me off," I growled. It screeched in reply, flying at me again. This time, though, I was ready. I swung my sword just at the right moment to cut it in half. It disintegrated before it hit the ground.

I tried lifting my arm up to "de-summon" my sword, but my arm wouldn't budge. I used my other arm to lift it up, and my sword disappeared.

"Augh..." I groaned. Blood had leaked through my uniform and was spreading fast, the rain making the stain bigger. "No, no, no..."

I dashed back to the school as quickly as my legs would take me.

By the time I had made it back inside I was soaked to the bone. There's no way they wouldn't figure out I had snuck out of the school. And I'm sure I'd draw a lot of attention with all this blood. I decided to wait for class to end, walking to the rooftop.

Sneaking past classes and people walking down the halls, I made it up the stairs to the roof. I went to open the door when the bell rang. I swung open the door and raced to the other side of the rooftop.

There was a small area on the opposite side of the door where I could hide for now. _Since it's raining, maybe no one will come to the roof._

I waited for a while, listening to cars drive in and out of the school lot. I could hear distant chatter as the classes were let out.

It seemed like an eternity passed before I rose and went to the door. Placing my free hand on the door I turned the handle. It caught. _No, don't tell me someone locked it?_ I shook the handle violently but it wouldn't budge.

I let go and stepped back, eyeing the door with horror. I went over to the side of the roof and peered down. It seemed like everyone had left. _I guess I could jump down, but I have to climb up this fence first._

I looked up and let out a huge sigh. Not only is it still raining, but there's a huge fence in my way, too. I took my free hand and grasped the fence tightly. Moving my hurt arm up over my head was excruciating. I gasped for air as I moved the other one, then the other one. _Just a little bit more..._

I made it to the top of the fence and looked down. I felt a little nauseated seeing how high up I was. It was a similar feeling to yesterday's incident, but for some reason I felt even more uneasy.

I closed my eyes and let go of the fence.

I felt the air rush around me, water hitting the sides of my face as I fell. Then, my feet hit the ground. My legs bent with the weight of the fall and I steadied myself with my free hand.

I stood up straight and opened my eyes. The school lot was empty, no cars or people in sight, thank goodness.

I turned back to the school and froze in horror. Ichigo was standing in front of it, soaked, with his and my bag slung over his shoulder. They dropped to the ground. Ichigo's mouth had dropped, too.

I felt my heart stop for a moment before my feet started moving on their own. Before I knew it they had taken me back to Urahara's shop.

I didn't bother knocking before I went in.

"H-hey! Wa-" Jinta had tried to stop me at the entrance, but paused, no doubt seeing my blood-soaked arm.

I saw Urahara sitting in the back of the shop. "Mystery! Welcome ba-" He stopped. "W-what happened?"

"I got bit by a Hollow. Is there anyway you can heal me?" I blurted out, pain searing up my arm into my shoulder.

With my arm was finally wrapped up and my clothes dry, I walked over to Urahara, who was sitting at a table, and joined him.

"Urahara, there's something I have to ask you."

"Ask away," he said, putting his fan in front of his face.

"The cellphone," I coughed, "I mean, 'Soul Pager', can everyone hear it?"

He laughed. "Of course not! I designed it where only people with a certain amount of spiritual pressure can hear it."

"Urahara, what exactly is that 'certain amount'?"

I explained what had happened in class today, as well as last night. Urahara sat up straight. "That's strange. He must have an over-abundance of spiritual pressure."

"What do you mean 'over-abundance'?"

"Well, there are a few humans who posses stronger spiritual pressure than others. Everyone has spiritual pressure, but people, like medium and such have more."

"So, he's like a medium or something?" I cocked my head to the side. This wasn't making much sense.

"Not necessarily. He might just be able to see ghosts."

"Is that what a medium is?" I asked. He just laughed.

Strange, the one place I'm sent to live in has a person who has special powers. _Coincidence?_

I gave Urahara a suspicious look as he spoke, "Well, you'd better be getting home soon. I'm sure someone is worried about you."

I glared at him, "And what exactly am I supposed to do about all this?"

"I have something that will wipe away people's memories, if the need arises. However, I doubt it'd work on someone like him."

"Just give it to me," I face-palmed.

"Sorry, I can't. All the ones I have right now are defective."

 _Ugh, you've got to be joking._

"Also, you know all of this could've been avoided if you'd used the Soul Candy I gave you."

"The wha?"

"Nevermind." Urahara got up and walked to the front of the store.

I sat there for a moment, taking things in. _What am I gonna tell him?_


	5. Chapter 3: SIDE B

"She hasn't returned," was all I could think when the bell rang. The class stood up, some leaving, others staying to chat with friends. I continued to sit here, watching the window. 

What was that back there? Her phone went off again, but no one else noticed? Then she just runs off. I saw her running outside from the window. Who does she think she's fooling? And what exactly is she doing? 

My thoughts were interrupted by Keigo patting me on the shoulder. "Dang, man, she sure is a looker. I'd say Orihime has some competition." 

"Leave me alone," I warned. I wasn't about to get caught up in a long conversation I had no interest in. My concerns were elsewhere. 

"Whoa man, alright. Sheesh, you're a bundle of nerves today." Keigo walked around my desk and sat down on the one in front of mine. "So, what's bothering you?" 

Not that I want any advice from Keigo, but I was genuinely curious. "Didn't you think it was really sudden? Her getting up like that." 

"Eh, when you gotta go-" 

"Keigo, stop." 

"Alright, alright. It was pretty sudden. I'd say she really must've had to go. I'm placing my bets on the cafeteria food." 

I sighed. I wasn't sure if Keigo was the cause of my oncoming headache or not, but I wouldn't rule it out. 

Keigo didn't mention Mystery's phone going off, though, so I was right on thinking no one else heard it. So why is it only me and her can? And what does it mean? I'm not buying the "set the wrong time" deal. It means something, but I can't figure out what. 

"Maaan, if it wasn't raining I'd invite you and Mystery to karaoke, but I don't want to walk all the way through town in this rain." Keigo stretched his arms out in the air and gave out a yawn. "This kinda weather makes me tired, too." 

I looked back out the window. Sure enough the rain was coming down more than usual. I wondered if she made it back inside before it started pouring. 

Most of the class had left now, leaving the room somewhat quiet. Mizuiro walked over to us and said, "I'm gonna head home before it gets any worse. Wanna walk halfway?" 

"No way I'm 'walking' in this. I didn't bring an umbrella today! I've gotta dash home." 

"Wanna share mine?" 

"No way, man! That'd be too weird." 

"Suit yourself then," Mizuiro said, walking off. 

"Ugh, I'd better leave, too. You coming?" Keigo asked me. 

"I'm gonna wait for her to get back. I'm not sure she knows her way back home from here." 

"Alright man, see ya tomorrow!" Keigo shouted as he headed for the door. 

The classroom was empty now, except for me. I looked over at Mystery's desk and saw her bag hanging off the side. I stood up, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder before doing the same to her's. 

I walked down the empty halls. I thought I could hear the band room practicing, but it was faint. 

I stopped at the entrance, looking out at the rain. I didn't bring an umbrella, either. I glanced around, looking for any leftover umbrellas, but to no avail. Adjusting the book bags, I opened the front door. 

The rain immediately hit my head, but there was something almost calming about it. It even made my headache go away. I hated it. 

I stood there, eyes closed, letting the rain wash over me... until I realized I had Mystery's bag in my hand. Crap. I hope her stuff isn't ruined now. 

I was about to put her bag under my blazer when I heard a loud THUD! I looked around for the source, but I didn't have to look far. A few feet away Mystery was kneeling on the ground. Water splashed up underneath her and fell back to the ground. She slowly stood up, her back to me, and looked around. I noticed her arm was covered in, what looked like, blood. 

She turned, her eyes locked on me. I felt my body freeze in shock, causing me to drop our bags to the rainsoaked ground. Before I had a chance to react she turned and ran, leaving me standing there. 


	6. Chapter 4: Impact

The walk back to Ichigo's house was torture. I had my new umbrella in hand. Urahara had "given" it to me, saying "Two Hollows would equal about... this much. Just enough for this umbrella here!" I swear, people have no respect for what I do at all.

Worry started to take over as I continued my journey "home". Surely Ichigo would confront me now, but will he do it in front of his family? Can I even tell him all this? Honestly, Urahara didn't seem all that concerned, so maybe I shouldn't be either.

I scratched my head. _Would he even believe me anyway?_ Maybe, considering I jumped from a building and landed unscathed. Even still, a person from another world fighting invisible monsters... It even seemed far-fetched to me when you put it that way.

Before I knew it I was back at the Kurosaki Clinic. I stopped at the door, placing my hand on doorknob. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Looking around inside I saw my bag on the kitchen table. It seemed no one was here, or at least not downstairs. I grabbed my bag off the table and quietly made my way up the stairs.

I instinctively looked over at Ichigo's door. It was closed, but that doesn't mean he's not in there. I slipped by and went to my door. I slowly turned the handle and pushed it open.

I gasped. Ichigo caught me off guard, sitting on my bed, his head in his hands. He immediately looked up at me and said, "We need to talk."

"Mystery, what exactly happened? What's going on?"

"I know something weird is going on. You were able to jump down from the second floor of the house, and now you jumped down all the way from the school roof. That's... not normal." His face was twisted with confusion and worry. I felt guilty and couldn't look him in the eye.

"I can't tell you, Ichigo."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." I put my head down.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Is there anything you can tell me? Anything at all?"

"...You're right. I'm not normal."

"Huh?"

"I'm not a normal human. I have... kind of... superpowers." I didn't want to give away too much information, but he could already tell that I wasn't normal. I guess it wouldn't hurt to confirm that much.

"Then... what are you?" He asked, hesitant.

"I don't really know myself."

He waited a moment before speaking. "Well, since you can't tell me anything it can't be helped."

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Nah, it's fine. I've seen a lot of weird things happen in my life. I guess this is just one of those times." He rose up from my bed and walked towards the door. He stopped in front of it, and without looking back he asked, "Your arm okay?"

"H-huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Good." He left the room.

It surprised me that he noticed I was hurt. My arm was covered in blood, so I guess it wasn't too hard to miss, but with all the shock from everything he still asked me about it. I rubbed over the bandages and winced.

The heat of the shower felt good on my wounds. It helped wash away the cold from the rain. Speaking of rain, it still hadn't stopped. I couldn't recall the news saying anything about long term rain, but it's still holding up. I dreaded the next time my phone goes off.

I stepped out of the shower and slipped my clothes on. _...Hm? Where is it?_ I couldn't find my pants. I looked around the bathroom, but to no avail.

"This can't be happening," I mumbled, cracking open the bathroom door. I stuck my head out and confirmed that no one was around before I tip-toed down the hall. My eyes locked onto Ichigo's closed door. _Please, please don't open_.

I got past his door and made a beeline straight to my room. I opened my door and let out an aggravated sigh. My pants were sitting on my bed. _That's just great._

"Supper's ready! Come and get it!" Yuzu bellowed from below. Just like her dad, she can make her voice carry if she wanted.

My footsteps echoed down the hall. Ichigo's door was already open. I guess he beat me down there.

Sure enough, Ichigo was filling up his plate. When he got done he walked past me, yelling back, "I'm eating in my room tonight!"

"Aw! Why do you have to be so distant!" Yuzu whined. I felt bad for her. It was probably my fault he was acting like that. He probably needed some time alone to think all that over.

Sadly, supper was uneventful. Isshin was working late, so there wasn't any comedic relief today. Somewhat fitting, considering the earlier part of the day.

I thanked Yuzu for the meal after I had finished. Putting my dish in the sink I headed towards the stairs, but stopped when I heard the T.V.

"Yes, it seems there's been all kinds of incidents lately. Just yesterday the construction site had an accident where an iron beam fell from one of the cranes. Thankfully, no one was close when it happened."

My eyes widened. The broadcast showed pictures taken at the site. Deep claw marks devastated a wall. The beam that had fallen was bent and twisted up in an abnormal state.

"Yeah, it was terrifying, seeing that beam fall from that high. After it was all over, we found out one of the cables holding it up had snapped." A man in a hardhat was pointing over to where the incident had happened.

I could hear the interview as I walked up the stairs. "That was one freak accident, huh?" No, I'm afraid that was no "accident", sir.

Digging through my purse I pulled out my phone. Nothing was on the radar at the moment. _Hm, if that was yesterday, I wonder if it'll show up today, too?_

I sat the phone on my desk and sat in the chair in front of it. I guess I'll be playing the waiting game tonight, too.

VIIIIIIRR VIIIIIIRRRR, VIIIIIIIIIIRRRR

"Hmm...?" I had fallen asleep with my head on the desk. I looked up at the phone that was inches from my face. It was vibrating, moving closer and closer to me. I picked it up and stared at the screen. A red dot appeared on the green radar. It was beeping faster as time passed by. _What does that mean?_

I got up from my warm seat and glanced out the window. It was still raining.

Grabbing my hoodie from my closet, I clumsily put it on as I rushed out of the room. Arriving at the door, I slipped my shoes on and pulled my hood over my head. When I opened the door, the wet, cold air hit my face, waking me up a bit more. Shivering, I rushed out into the night.

I didn't bother running fast. I was soaked enough as it was. I jogged over to the location of this new Hollow. When I got close, I recognized the area. Seems I guessed right. I was standing in front of the construction site that had been shown on the news this evening.

I took out my phone and flipped it open. For a split second, the dot blinked with the radar then vanished. I immediately shot my head up, looking for the Hollow. I couldn't see far in the foggy rain, even with streetlights.

 _Stupid phone_. I crammed it into my pocket. Trudging through the water caused my feet to drown in the puddles slowing gathering in various places. I found myself shivering yet again.

The construction site looked eerie in the low lighting. Creaks and moans caused me to jump. I didn't sense a Hollow, but you can never be too careful.

I walked further in, I admired the confusing cables and beams put in perfect places, just enough to hold everything together. It seemed like they had started working on the roof, so I was sheltered from the rain, for now.

Examining the cables, I thought I glimpsed a pair of yellow eyes and prepared to call on my sword. Then, hopping out from the darkness, an orange cat procured from a mess of cables. It slinked over to me, rubbing it's face against my leg.

"O-oh, hey there little guy." I knelt down and rubbed it's fuzzy head. It mewed in response, nuzzling my hand. "What are you doing here, huh?"

I continued to rub it until it looked up at me. "Hm, what is it?" The cat looked over at my hand and- OOOWWWW!

My scream echoed around the site, bouncing off walls and sheets of metal. The cat had a death grip on my hand, his tail wagging from side to side.

"Mmmn, l-let go!" I yanked my hand away, but his claws just dug in deeper. "P-please? What d-did I do to deserve this, you traitor!"

The cats ears perked up and he released my hand. I instinctively drew my hand to my chest, sniffling. The cat stood at alert, turning it's head around. Then, it rushed over to the outside, stopping in the rain. It turned back around and looked at me.

"What? You really want me to follow you after what you did to me?" The cat, seemingly waiting for a response, gave up and dashed off. I stood up, rubbing my hand. "Thinks he can boss me around now, psh."

"WATCH OUT!" A voice cried out. Then I was suddenly on the wet ground, pain shooting up my hurt arm.

I looked up and saw that same flash of orange.

An explosion kicked up dust all around, creating another layer of fog that I couldn't even try to see through.

My savior coughed, holding me close to himself. "I-Ichigo..." My eyes were starting to burn.

"Stay down." He was holding me even tighter now.

"Ichigo... what are you doing here?" I pushed myself away from him so I could see his face.

I gasped. Blood trickled down his forehead and was pooling around his left eye.

"I followed you. You got hurt this afternoon, so I knew you wouldn't be able to protect yourself as easily." He wiped away the blood from his eye, but within seconds it had returned.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"Ah, so that's how it is, huh? I just saved your ass!"

"But-" A Hollow's scream interrupted our now beginning argument. I used my senses to detect it, but I didn't have to search hard.

A few feet away a slim Hollow was standing among the rubble. It had an almost human form. In an instant, it disappeared again.

"Get back!" I shoved Ichigo away right before the Hollow landed a punch in the ground between us. A small crater was left over when it retreated up to the beams above.

"W-wha-" Ichigo was staring up at it, pointing. "What the hell is that thing?"

"It's a Hollow, and if we don't move now it's gonna kill us!" I rushed over to Ichigo and grabbed his hand, pulling him up. Together, we dashed away from the site, giving us some distance and hopefully a better look at this Hollow.

Ichigo was panting, holding his head. Blood had stained his orange hair, and the rain was making it worse. "Mystery, does this have to do with what happened earlier?"

"Somewhat. I promise I'll explain everything when I kill this thing." I summoned my sword and tried to ignore the shocked look on Ichigo's face. I was feeling more and more guilty the longer I looked at him.

Tightening the grip on my sword, I jumped up onto one of the beams. "Just stay back, alright? I can handle this!" I yelled back.

The Hollow was off in the distance, almost concealed in fog and dust. I yelled out at it, "Wanna piece of me? Come and get it!"

It creepily tilted its head to the side and vanished once again. I got into a fighting stance, ready to strike, but it reappeared right in front of my face, striking my leg with its own.

"Gah!" My knee buckled and I found myself falling back to the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me. My ears were ringing from pain, so I didn't hear him call out for me. I didn't hear the Hollow's terrifying screech. I didn't hear him cry out in pain. I didn't hear him hit the cold ground. But I saw everything.


End file.
